Puppy Love Stargazing
by juxtaposed
Summary: The story of Hogwarts, the Marauders, and loving Sirius as seen from Remus' point of view. RLSB SLASH, with LJ thrown in. Companion to Puppy Love, Lunar Love Part I. On Hiatus, and being Revised.
1. Love at First Sight

**Title:** _Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I   
_**Author: juxtaposed  
****Summary: **Remus and Sirius' lives and relationship - as seen from Remus' point of view.   
Companion to _Puppy Love - Lunar Love Part I_.  
**Timeline:** From when they meet, up til when Harry is born. Aka, 1971-1980.  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Warnings:** _Slash!!_ That means_ guy-on-guy_ lovin'. Dont like it? Dont read it! Simple enough.  
**Pairings:** Sirius/Remus, James/Lily  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Remus, Hogwarts, Platform 9 3/4, etc...I _do_ own Sirius, James, and Lily, cause JK Rowling killed them off, and we all know you cant lay claim to dead persons, right? Mwahaha. Nah, I dont own them, so dont sue me for dreaming. Bah.

**Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I**   
by **juxtaposed**

**Chapter One: Love at First Sight**

I love him. I've always loved him. I've loved him since I'd first laid eyes on him, a young, handsome boy milling around Platform 9 ¾. It was the very first day of school, and I was waiting by myself at the station, not quite sure what to expect. Or what to do, for that matter. There were so many people, and they all seemed to know exactly where they were going, where they belonged. Including _him_. I had tried – more than once – to ask for help, but everyone was too busy or preoccupied or just didn't want to bother with an eleven year old boy, so I was left still looking for someone to tell me what exactly I was supposed to do. That's when I saw him.

It was just for a brief moment, really. I had been taking a quick glance around the platform, when my eyes met his. I fell in love with him. Unfortunately, I was caught up in the momentum of turning around, and I broke our eye contact. I guess it would have been rude if I had kept staring, anyway. But I was still disappointed. There was just something so…_magical_ about that boy. I wanted to just stare at him forever. Instead, I found myself examining the top of my shoes. They were rather ratty, and I was just contemplating if I could afford new ones, when suddenly there was a presence beside me. Instinct told me it was that beautiful boy, and my heart jumped with joy. But logic also told me not to be too excited too quickly. With a mixture of both roiling about in my head and stomach, I looked up.

Straight into deep, rich, beautiful sapphire eyes.

"Hello," said that magical boy in the most wonderful voice I'd ever heard. I was captivated by his voice. I could spend hours…days…months…years…_forever_…listening to that voice. He held out his hand, and I felt a smile on my face as I realized _he was giving me an opportunity to touch him_. I didn't hesitate for very long, and a heady rush of blood made me want to swoon the instant our skin made contact. Warmth spread all over my body with a tingle, and I wondered if he could tell how I felt, since his piercing eyes were locked onto mine. Merlin, he had beautiful eyes. They were a soulful ocean blue that glittered, but not from light. From something within him. _Magic_, I thought. The logical part of me wanted to point out that yes, he had magic, but I had magic too. That was why we were there. But another part of me, something in my soul told me that the magic in this boy was something more.

It was then that I realized I'd been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't returned his greeting. He probably thought I was rude and uneducated and all that nonsense. I quickly managed a quiet "Hi".

"I'm Sirius," he told me. As an afterthought, he quickly added, "Black." So now I knew his name. Sirius Black. I loved it. It was mysterious and promising and impressive and unique, like the owner of the name.

Somehow I was able to introduce myself. "Remus Lupin." He looked at me and I couldn't help but smile at him. There was a tiny pause, and I looked him over, seeing that he was alone with only his things. "Are you alone too?" I asked him.

He grinned at me, and I fell in love again. It might have been an odd time to start smiling, but it didn't really matter to me. Nothing really seemed to matter anymore, as I took in his stunning, radiant, perfect smile…

"Well, actually, I'm with my mate James," he said.

"Oh." I had to admit, I was disappointed. I'd been hoping that he was alone. Then, since I was alone too, we could've been alone. Together. Something must've shown on my face, because Sirius suddenly looked rather uneasy. I'd just been about to assure him nothing was wrong, when –

"My parents didn't want to bring me here," he suddenly blurted out. I blinked. _Well, that was unexpected._ I gazed at him, and he met my eyes. They seemed a little cloudy, as he continued.

"They kicked me out a while ago, and James' family took me in."

I continued to gaze at this magical boy…Sirius. I could see the uncertainty on his face, and I knew he was wondering if he should have told me all that. It was rather personal, after all. But I wanted to know…I wanted to know everything about him. And I didn't want him to think otherwise. "That's nice of them." I tried to smile, but I couldn't help but feel a little upset about the fact someone had actually kicked out this perfect boy.

He seemed to sense that, and he gave a small shrug. "Yeah, well…I was lucky, I guess." I nodded, silently thanking the parents of this James fellow for taking Sirius in. "So, uh, what about you?" he asked hesitantly. I tore my eyes away from his spectacular cobalt ones, and cast my gaze down, not wanting him to catch a glimpse of, or even guess, the truth. It would scare him away, the way it scared everyone else away. "Uh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to –" he stammered nervously.

"It's alright," I said quickly. _Oh great, now I've got him thinking I'm some sort of nutter who cant talk about himself._ There was an awkward pause, and I stole a glance at him. I wanted to tell him. But…what if he got scared, too? It would be understandable, of course. I was an abomination of nature. But I wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be afraid. That maybe he would be even more wonderful than I dared hope and he would learn to accept it, maybe even embrace it…but who was I trying to fool? I was nothing.

"You must think I'm a total nutter, coming up to you and blabbing about my life and intruding on yours and everything…" he said, breaking the silence. He was looking apologetically at me. "I'm sorry. I just tend to…I'm sorry."

He thought _he_ was the nutter? And the way he shuffled slightly while rambling…it was adorable. I couldn't help grinning. "It's really alright," I told him. "I was just a little…thrown. You caught me by surprise there." He stared at me. He still looked rather apprehensive about everything. "It's really alright, Sirius. I mean, we all get our foot in our mouths sometimes, right?"

"Y-yeah…" He paused a while. "Uh, wait…who has their foot in their mouth? Must be rather uncomfortable."

I laughed. He was really cute when he said that, looking slightly confused. I explained myself to him. "It's a Muggle saying. It means you say the wrong thing at the wrong time."

"Oh. I don't know much about Muggles, really. I've never really met one," he replied. "Sorry."

Why did he keep apologizing? Sure, he was cute when he did, but I was feeling rather bad, like I was making him feel guilty. Why he'd feel guilty I didn't know. It was nowhere near being his fault. "Stop apologizing, will you? It's alright. I just happened to grow up with Muggles." I smiled as reassuringly as I could at him, even though I felt like I was lying to him. I wasn't, it was the truth that I'd grown up with Muggles…but I wasn't telling him _why_, and somehow that felt just as bad. I didn't want to lie to him.

"Oh, are your parents Muggles, then?" he asked, but before I could respond, he quickly continued in a rush. "I don't mean to pry…I just thought that I'd heard the name Lupin before, so I assumed you were from that family, but maybe you just have the same name, and I think I have my leg in my head again."

"It's foot in mouth." I couldn't help but laugh. "And you're right, I am from those Lupins, but I just…." I paused. How could I explain this without revealing too much? I figured the simplest answer was the safest. "My parents sent me off to live with my aunt and uncle, who are Muggle."

Sirius seemed to sense that I didn't want to talk about it, and we were in the midst of an awkward pause when suddenly a boy – with black hair just like Sirius', only in a state of great disarray – dashed up to us, calling out Sirius' name. Sirius turned to look at him as he reached us. The messy-haired boy looked at me with hazel eyes.

"Hello," he greeted me, smiling friendlily and holding out his hand. A little bit thrown, I just took his hand.

"Er, James, this is Remus Lupin. Remus, James Potter." Sirius made the introductions. I wanted to swoon when I heard him say my name. Merlin, everything just sounded good when he spoke. Then I realized who he'd said the boy was. James Potter. So _this_ was James. I couldn't help wondering if there was anything between him and Sirius. I wanted to dislike him, just a little, just for being so close to Sirius. But he seemed like a nice guy. Not to mention it was his parents who had housed Sirius…I was torn now. Like him, not like him. Like him, not like him. I decided to stay neutral for now.

"Nice to meet you," I said, and he grinned at me.

"Sure, that's what they all say at first," he said, winking at me cheerfully. He looked around me. "So where are your parents?" he asked. Great. He _had_ to bring that up.

"Er," I hesitated. I looked down again, out of habit.

"It's alright, we'll all just hang out together then. Sirius came with me, and well, my parents just left," James suddenly said, rather quickly, in that ever-upbeat way of his. I smiled gratefully.

Just then, a bell rang out loudly throughout the station. Sirius jumped a little, then turned to me and James. "What was that?" he asked. I was rather curious about that as well. It sounded like…. A loud rumbling started up, and an equally loud whistle pierced the air.

Oh. _No._

"The train! I think it's going to leave!" I yelped.

* * *

AN: _Was that a cliffhanger? I'm not sure, but I apologize if it was. I was looking for a good place to cut off, and that seemed like it. _

_

  
Also, as mentioned, this is the companion piece to

_ Puppy Love - Lunar Love Part I_, which is all the events from **Sirius**' point of view. And dont worry, it wont all be exactly the same events, after all, they dont do everything together; and I'll mostly be focusing on only the important events._

__

_Anyway, I'd love to know what you all think of this so far - if you'd be so kind as to leave me a **review**? _


	2. Hogwarts Express

**Title:** _Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I   
_**Author: juxtaposed  
Summary: **Remus and Sirius' lives and relationship - as seen from Remus' point of view.   
Companion to _Puppy Love - Lunar Love Part I_.  
**Timeline:** From when they meet, up til when Harry is born. Aka, 1971-1980.  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Warnings:** _Slash!!_ That means_ guy-on-guy_ lovin'. Dont like it? Dont read it! Simple enough.  
**Pairings:** Sirius/Remus, James/Lily  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Remus, Hogwarts, Platform 9 3/4, etc...I _do_ own Sirius, James, and Lily, cause JK Rowling killed them off, and we all know you cant lay claim to dead persons, right? Mwahaha. Nah, I dont own them, so dont sue me for dreaming. Bah.

**Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I**   
by **juxtaposed**

****

**Chapter Two: Hogwarts Express**

****

_"The train! I think it's going to leave!" I yelped._

James muttered some choice swear words, then began to run to the train's closest doorway. "Hurry up, you two!" he yelled to us as he ran, just as the train began to move. "Hey! Stop!" he shouted at the train. "We're not on yet!"

Sirius and I reached James as the train suddenly halted – almost as if it had heard the yell – and he leapt on. "That was close." I was out of breath. Dragging along a large trunk was a difficult enough task for someone as slight as me. Add that to having to do so while running madly, and I had broken into a slight sweat. Lovely. Now Sirius, who was breathless but still perfectly sweat-free, probably thought I was some kind of weakling.

"I'll say." Sirius said while lifting his trunk onto the train, still clutching his owl's cage.

"Here, I'll help you with that." I took the cage from his hand. He nodded a thank you, then turned at James.

"Hey, where's your stuff?" he asked James.

"Oh, Mom figured I'd leave it at the station if she didn't bring it on board for me. She was probably right. And it's a good thing she did, too, or I might not have stopped the train in time." James grinned.

"Well, we might have got to miss school," Sirius said thoughtfully. He exchanged glances with James, then joked, "Mate, you should have just let it go!"

James pretended to groan, and sighed loudly for effect. "How foolish I was."

"Let's go find somewhere to sit, yeah?" I suggested, trying my best not to laugh at their silliness.

"Good idea, Remus," Sirius flashed me a wide smile that nearly well sent me into utter bliss. All I could do was smile back, my heart threatening to explode from the joy I felt, just from that smile. "Hopefully its not too crowded…" he continued.

"Oh, we can just go to the compartment where my stuff is already," James reminded him. "That should still be empty."

"Alright, let's go, then." Sirius nodded, but James remained still, only turning when Sirius asked, "Er, James? Where would this compartment _be_?"

"I was just wondering the same thing." James said sheepishly, red rising to his face. Sirius groaned, and James immediately remarked, "Well, its not my fault if I don't know! I'm not the one who stowed my suitcase!"

Okay, things were getting a little out of hand. "Hey, relax…why don't we just look for it?" I suggested, trying to keep everyone calm.

"Ah, a voice of reason! Just what we've been lacking all these years, eh, Siri? Where have you been all our lives, Remus, buddy?" James grinned at me while putting an arm over my shoulder. I wasn't really accustomed to such open displays of affection, and couldn't help blushing a little. James was genuinely very friendly and nice, and my previous neutrality was swaying. I couldn't help like him, he was too affable to be disliked. I stole a glance at Sirius, expecting to see him happy that we were all getting along so well. Instead, to my surprise, I saw him glowering. In fact, he seemed to be in a rather foul mood.

"Alright, then," he suddenly snapped peevishly. "Let's find your missing trunk, shall we?" He turned abruptly and began to walk down the corridor. I gazed after him, concerned. James seemed quite bewildered by Sirius' behavior, so I guessed incidents like this didn't happen often. He turned to face me, and we both frowned at what had just occurred.

"Um, did I do something wrong?" I asked nervously. I really didn't want to upset Sirius. I didn't know what I'd done, but I was planning on chasing after him and begging him to forgive me. I couldn't stand knowing he was angry at something, especially since I suspected that something to be me. I couldn't bear it if Sirius was mad at me, I'd break down right then and there. I could almost feel myself tearing up already, when James' voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Nah, mate, judging by the way he looked at me, I'd say its me who's got his feathers all ruffled up. He rather likes you, I think." James shook his head slightly. "I just don't know what I could've done. He isn't the type to get angry over luggage." He sighed. "I guess I'll talk to him about it later. We'd better catch up to him first, though." I nodded, but my anxiety must've shown, because James quickly put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Remus. Sirius…it'll be okay."

I tried to believe him; after all, he _was_ Sirius' best friend. But I was still worried. We followed the path Sirius had taken, and saw him a long way down, talking to someone inside a compartment. "Look, he's there. Let's hurry." We quickly made our way down to where Sirius stood.

"…trunk here, we were hoping to find an empty carriage." Sirius was saying as we reached him.

James peered inside. "My stuff!"

I looked in, too. Inside sat a rather pretty little red-headed girl, and a large suitcase, covered in moving pictures of Quidditch players, and emblazoned with 'JAMES POTTER' in big characters.

"How can you be sure?" I remarked, and Sirius laughed a little. I'd made him laugh! That fact lifted my spirits tremendously. I wanted to just stay in that moment, listening to the rich, lilting laugh that was Sirius', but I knew I ought to be polite and talk to the girl, as she was suddenly ignored by all three of us, and looked rather anxious. "Hello," I greeted her. She smiled politely. "Would you like us to get our stuff and clear out to another compartment?" I offered.

"It's alright," she replied. "If you boys are hoping to find an empty one, this is the only one. I've already looked. I'm sorry to have intruded. Since your stuff was here first, I'll just take my stuff and go, then." She had turned a slight crimson, and although she spoke cheerily, I could sense she was a bit hesitant to leave. It was then that James chose to jump into the conversation, thankfully. He was gazing at the girl admiringly.

"Nah, stay," James quickly said. "You can join us. It'll be nice to have a girl to add to the ranks."

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you," she said, with obvious relief in her voice. "I'm Lily Evans. You must be…James Potter?" Her smile widened.

"Why yes, how could you tell? And this is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin." He pointed to me and Sirius, and we both said hello. Then James began. "So, Lily Evans, how come a pretty girl like you is all alone?"

Sirius and I exchanged a look. I had to admire James' directness. I could never say anything like that. I wish I could have, maybe Sirius might find me more interesting, or more charming, or something. But I couldn't, so I was just who I was. Plain, boring, shy, quiet, bookish Remus Lupin. Someone as charismatic and fantastic as Sirius would never be interested in me as more than a friend…

* * *

AN: _There you go, chapter two is up! I know the first couple of chapters are pretty short, maybe a little mundane, and the next few might be as well, but I promise that soon I'll start to churn out longer and more interesting chapters - well, hopefully, anyway. **Reviews** help. Hint. Hint. Hint. _:)

_Big **THANK YOU**s are in order to my kind reviewers, **Lilsi** and **Nolwe the Lady Dragon**, you guys and your reviews make me happy. -cue cheesy grin-_

_And a final note, I know I've made Sirius' eyes blue, and yes, I know they're supposed to be grey, but to me blue is just a little more interesting to describe and I definitely think that black hair and blue eyes make for a very handsome (and sexy!) Sirius. And I'm pretty sure Remus would agree with me. Heh heh._

_Review, please?_


	3. Conversations On the Train

**Title:** _Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I   
_**Author: juxtaposed  
Summary: **Remus and Sirius' lives and relationship - as seen from Remus' point of view.   
Companion to _Puppy Love - Lunar Love Part I_.  
**Timeline:** From when they meet, up til when Harry is born. Aka, 1971-1980.  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Warnings:** _Slash!!_ That means_ guy-on-guy_ lovin'. Dont like it? Dont read it! Simple enough.  
**Pairings:** Sirius/Remus, James/Lily  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Remus, Hogwarts, Platform 9 3/4, etc...I _do_ own Sirius, James, and Lily, cause JK Rowling killed them off, and we all know you cant lay claim to dead persons, right? Mwahaha. Nah, I dont own them, so dont sue me for dreaming. Bah.

**Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I**   
by **juxtaposed**

**Chapter Three: Conversations On the Train**

Suddenly I heard Lily's voice. "…I thought that it was weird that the train just stopped for a while…" The three of us, knowing full well the story behind that, began to laugh. "Um, did I miss something?" Lily asked, frowning in confusion and looking at us as if we'd gone insane.

"Oh, no, it's nothing…just that we know why the train stopped…" James said. Lily looked at him curiously, waiting for his explanation. "It was, um, because of us."

Lily blinked in surprise. "What? How'd you manage to stop the train?"

She seemed to think we had done it _on purpose._

James noted this too, and gave me and Sirius a wink. "Well, you know, we have our secrets," he said to her, sounding rather mysterious. Lily looked awed.

"Wow…I cant believe you did it. I heard some people on the train saying that it was because of a few idiots who didn't board the train on time. But it was actually you guys…." She was looking at all of us with a mixture of intrigue and respect. James reddened and cleared his throat.

"Well, uh…not exactly. Those idiots were us," he admitted, looking thoroughly embarassed.

Lily began to giggle, but quickly covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. James was effectively confused by her actions. "Um, I'm glad you find it…funny?"

Lily was still a little bit giggly as she spoke. "I'm sorry…its just, I was thinking you were really powerful wizards or something, getting Hogwarts Express to stop when it was already moving, and it turns out…you just nearly missed getting on it!"

"Well, we _did_ manage to stop it, didn't we?" James straightened up, looking to be somewhat affronted by her mirth.

"I'm sorry," Lily apologized again. She was serious for a while, but then suddenly began to giggle anew. After a brief moment of self-righteous huffing, James grinned, then started to join in her laughter.

That little interlude seemed to break the proverbial ice, and we were all much friendlier and more open after that, talking about ourselves and other topics for the rest of the train ride. Although I did notice that Sirius and I seemed to have more conversations with each other, as did James and Lily. Not that I was complaining, of course. I also noticed that James seemed pretty much hell-bent on grilling Lily for everything about herself, which she seemed both flattered and vaguely apprehensive about.

Sirius seemed to be trying to take things in the same vein as James, and I found myself answering quite a few questions about myself – Sirius seemed genuinely interested, and I couldn't help but want to tell him everything.

Except that, well, I couldn't, not really…not everything. I'd just lose this perfect boy, and although I was used to losing people, I suddenly couldn't bear the thought of not having Sirius as a friend – even though I'd only known him a couple of hours.

So I told him everything else about me that he wanted to know. I told him what the initials etched on my trunk stood for, when he pointed them out curiously. I told him about my Aunt Luna and Uncle Gary, when he asked me about who I stayed with – I felt a thrill of happiness when I realized that he had remembered that little fact about me. I told him, although somewhat inadvertently, the names of my favorite books - although they were by people like CS Lewis and Roald Dahl, Muggle authors, so he went blank when I mentioned them – while I got engaged in a long conversation with Lily, who turned out to be from a family of Muggles, over books and reading. We were rather happily discussing books and authors, but Sirius and James, however, both seemed to have an aversion to books, so they tried to divert the topic every chance they got, and at one point it darted dangerously close to my secret. But I managed to avoid mentioning the truth of the rest of my family life – luckily he seemed to get the hint after a bit and didn't mention them anymore.

Instead, there was a moment of awkward silence. Then he asked casually, "So, do you like Quidditch?"

"Well," I hesitated. "I've never actually seen a game, what with growing up with Muggles and all…"

He nodded in understanding. James, however, nearly attacked me. He looked absolutely affronted as he demanded, "You _what?_ You've never seen a game of Quidditch?"

And then Lily asked, all innocence, "What's Kee-Ditch?"

James looked right about to implode in horror. "That's it," he muttered, then faced Sirius, nothing but sheer determination written on his face. "I, James Dean Potter, do solemnly declare that I will induct Remus and Lily into the wonderful world of Quidditch, or may the Chudley Cannons never win another Championship for the rest of the century."

I looked at Lily, who looked back at me, and we both grinned. I knew we were both thinking the same thing. _James is so melodramatic._ Surely he was kidding…right? I didn't know what to think, because James had re-engaged Lily into a whole diatribe about the workings of Quidditch.

And Sirius laughed.

For a moment, I felt like I was suspended in time. Sirius' laughter was even more captivating than his voice, which was hard to believe. I couldn't help but freeze for a second, as I stared at him. He gave me a brilliant smile and glanced over at James and Lily – James was talking animatedly about Quidditch and Lily was listening patiently. I had a sudden urge to keep looking at him, to keep him looking at me, and before I registered what was happening, my hand was outstretched and lightly, ever-so-gently, the edges of my fingers were dusting the top of his robes, on his shoulder.

His head whipped back to face me immediately; so suddenly it was like I'd electrocuted him. He looked at me, with those bright oceanic eyes of his, and I found myself nervously stammering, trying to come up with a reasonable, plausible line for touching him. James' obsessive behavior came to mind, and I gratefully grappled onto that excuse.

"Er, Sirius? Just how bad could it be to have James, er…'induct' me?" I asked anxiously.

Sirius' laugh filled the air with its magic again, before he replied, amusement coating his voice. "Jamesy is a Quidditch _maniac_, Remus. One of those nutters who hex the newspapers when they write one bad word about his favorite team." He rolled his eyes at his best friend.

Although he hadn't appeared to be listening to us, James suddenly looked up at us and interjected, "Wood most certainly does _not_ have sausages for hands!" loudly, then returned his attentions to Lily, explaining more of Quidditch as if his little exclamation hadn't happened. Lily seemed more than just a little startled.

I just stared at him in wonder.

Sirius, again seeming to find this all very amusing, simply smiled as he indicated James with a nod of his head. "He's, uh, got an ear for Quidditch, that one."

I was compelled to grin in return. "I couldn't help but notice." I said wryly. Sirius's grin widened.

A little while later, a lady pushing a trolley came by our compartment. "Anything for you dears?" she asked, smiling kindly. We peered at her cart.

I felt myself grinning. There was more candy on that little trolley than I'd ever seen before. Now, the only problem was which one to choose…I stared at my options for a while, debating what would be worth it.

Suddenly I heard James say, "Two of everything, please", and then a clinking of coins sounded.

I turned to look at him; he was trying to convince Lily it was alright even as he handed the lady a handful of money for the treats. "But James," she was saying anxiously. "You really don't have to pay for me."

"It's alright, Lily," he assured her. "I…I want to."

Her face colored, and she offered him a shy smile and thanked him profusely. I heard James mumble some sort of response to her, and in the back of my mind I was vaguely amused.

All this was happening without me paying too much attention though, because Sirius was suddenly saying to the woman, "Make that two more rounds, thanks." I spun to face him in surprise. He grinned at me charmingly before he spoke. "You can't seem to decide, so why not try them all?"

"But – Sirius," I started. "I cant really – that is, I – are you paying _for me_?" I suddenly asked in astonishment. Sirius was, indeed, counting out a fistful of coins into the woman's open hand as I was speaking. "Why – what – that is to say – have you lost your mind? I can't let you pay for me."

Sirius gave me that charming grin again as he said nonchalantly, "Why not? You're my friend." He poured the score of chocolate into my lap, picking up a Chocolate Frog and offering it to me. I took it, still rather dumbfounded. He then grabbed one for himself and ripped open his own as he continued cheerfully. "And if you're that hung up about it, you can pay me back another way." With that, he bit into the head of his Frog and smiled a chocolate-smeared smile at me. It was absolutely the most adorable thing I'd ever seen in my life.

I couldn't do anything but shake my head at him fondly as I tore open my own chocolate. "Alright then. I owe you a favor."

"You might want to reconsider that, Remus buddy." James spoke up suddenly. "When Siri and I require, er, _favors_, its…well…its usually not pretty."

Lily shot him a disturbed look.

However, the chocolate was having a decidedly contenting effect on me, because I simply shrugged and grinned at all of them. "Its alright. Whatever I have to do to have gotten this lot of chocolate will be worth it."

"Weakness for chocolate?" Lily asked me knowingly.

I nodded. "The worst." As an afterthought, I added, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is my idea of heaven."

"Me too!" She grinned at me. "You're sounding more and more like me, you know. First the reading thing, and the Muggle household, then Quidditch, now this."

I laughed. "I foresee lots of literary sessions in the library with a stash of chocolate, while avoiding our sports-mad friends."

"I'm not sports mad!" James said indignantly.

"Quidditch mad, then," Lily conceded.

James beamed at her. "That's better."

Sirius and I glanced at each other, and for some reason, we both couldn't help smiling.

* * *

AN: _I know, I know! Completely too long a wait! The whole rambling has been contained, however, and relegated to my LJ, which incidentally is where I'll keep people posted on the progress of my fics. (grin) Shameless announcement, that was.  
Anyway, I apologize endlessly for the wait, but do be assured that **I most definitely have NOT abandoned this story!** I love Remus and Sirius too much for that._

_To my wonderful reviewers, as always: **Lilsi, X-Mas Gurl, Chibi Chan, StolenSoul4818,** and **MelissaMoony** - thank you all so much for your reviews, and kind words, and unintentional patience for this story. I hope this slightly longer chapter sated you all for a little while; I promise the next chapter wont take so long, and also look out for Sirius' POV, update coming soon!_

_If I am deserving of one, please **review**?_


	4. Hogwarts

**Title:** _Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I  
_**Author: juxtaposed  
Summary: **Remus and Sirius' lives and relationship - as seen from Remus' point of view.  
Companion to _Puppy Love – Lunar Love Part I._  
**Timeline:** From when they meet, up til when Harry is born. Aka, 1971-1980.  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Warnings:** _Slash!!_ That means_ guy-on-guy_ lovin'. Dont like it? Dont read it! Simple enough.  
**Pairings:** Sirius/Remus, James/Lily  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Remus, Hogwarts, Platform 9 3/4, etc...I _do_ own Sirius, James, and Lily, cause JK Rowling killed them off, and we all know you cant lay claim to dead persons, right? Mwahaha. Nah, I dont own them, so dont sue me for dreaming. Bah.

**Puppy Love - Stargazing Part I  
**by** juxtaposed**

**Chapter Three: Hogwarts**

The rest of the train ride went on in similar fashion, we kept on talking even as I saw the sky outside dim slightly, which indicated it was fairly late, and I was about to ask how long the train ride was when I felt the Hogwarts Express start to slow.

Sure enough, the blur of scenery outside was slowly coming to focus, and then there was a loud chug of the train, a whistle, a long shudder of the floors and walls – and we had reached our destination.

Hogwarts.

As we stepped off the train, we were swept up in a complete throng of people, all the students who were eager to get off of the train and stretch their legs. I turned to Sirius, James and Lily questioningly, as we all stood nervously at the station, holding onto our luggage, staring at the crowd around us.

"Where do we go?" I asked. James shrugged.

"Beats me. It's my first year too."

Just then, we heard a loud, gruff voice yelling out across the crowd, barely audible over the commotion.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! This way!" The owner of the voice was tall – very tall. More than twice the height of any of the older students and easily thrice of mine, and he was large as well. He had long unruly hair, and a long unruly beard, which hid half his face, although dark eyes peered out from under bushy eyebrows.

"Well, I guess that answers our questions. Let's go." Lily picked up her suitcase and started to make her way over to the over-sized man. James made as if to take her luggage from her, but a quick glance at the size of his own trunk quickly changed his mind. Sirius caught my eye and we exchanged grins.

The gigantic man was standing by the large dark lake beside a large fleet of boats, and beamed warmly at us as we went up to him. "Firs' years?" he asked.

Sirius nodded. "I'm Sirius, this is James, Lily and Remus," he pointed to each of us in turn, and at the end he stared at me for a bit, smiling at me before turning back to the man.

"How are yeh?" the man boomed, nodding at us. "I'm Hagrid. Groundskeeper." He waved to a boat. "Yeh all get on in. Its four to a boat, so yeh just right."

"Thank you," Lily said politely, smiling shyly. He beamed down at us again.

"No problem. Now, if ever yeh four be wantin' t' visit, feel free t' come down t' my hut!"

"Will do," James grinned eagerly, and Sirius mimicked him, as we began to move to the edge of the lake. We waved goodbye to Hagrid as we clambered on our boat.

"See you around!" I called out. Hagrid simply waved back before attending to the other students who had just appeared around him. When they were all in their boats, the entire fleet began to glide across the lake smoothly, all in sync. I knew Lily was as impressed as I was, even though Sirius and James seemed nonplussed.

Halfway during the ride, I couldn't help but notice that James and Lily kept stealing glances at each other, and blushing and smiling. It was then that I noticed Sirius was observing the same thing, and our gazes met. When that happened, Sirius' face seemed to turn a bit pink – or was it my imagination? The thought of it made me flush a little, and I smiled shyly at him.

We were close to arriving a little while later – I could see the castle, and it was breathtaking; I couldn't help but gasp audibly. It was amazing – like one of those castles you see in fairytales, or in history books, from the Middle Ages – in fact, I wouldn't have been a bit surprised if it _was_ from the Middle Ages, it looked positively ancient, but still lavish and splendorous. There were wide, sprawling grounds, with its own forest and the lake was surrounding the castle itself – which was simply enormous, with all sorts of towers and turrets that seemed to rise straight up to the heavens, the tops of the taller ones obscured from view by misty clouds. It looked like an enclosed labyrinth; it was so large and confusing-looking.

"I think I'm going to get lost very often," I muttered aloud, feeling extremely daunted. Sirius, who was sitting next to me, and therefore within range, looked at me with a grin.

"Don't worry," he said confidently. "I've got an excellent sense of direction."

"Well, hurrah for you. Fat lot of use that'll do if I'm alone." My nervousness was making me snappish, and I winced slightly. Sirius, however, didn't seem to care.

"Well then," he said, rather cheerfully, "we're just going to have to make sure that wont happen, wont we?" He gave me a wide, charming smile, and I immediately felt myself heat up, and my knees went weak – I would have fallen over if I hadn't been sitting down. Still, I managed a smile in return, but cast my gaze down at my hands, both out of nervous habit and slight embarrassment over my earlier behavior. Had I just been rude to _Sirius?_ When all he had been doing was being nice? I groaned silently. This was probably not a good way to make, or keep friends. Lucky for me Sirius seemed to take it all in stride – yet another wonderful trait of Sirius, I thought as I snuck a glance at him.

When I looked up, Sirius and James seemed to be having some sort of face-off. They took turns giving each other rather knowing, smug looks and laughing silently. I couldn't help but smile – Sirius looked adorable. Then James whispered something to Sirius, who nodded and suddenly a pang of jealously flashed through me, although it immediately dissipated when James returned to staring at Lily, and Sirius grinned at me.

His smile sent a shiver straight through my spine, and blood was rushing to my brain all at once, leaving me more than a little woozy. God, his smile ought to come with a warning of sorts – "In small doses, this smile is likely to cause flutters and giddiness. In larger doses, you might experience full-out weakness and swooning may occur, as well as a slowing of mental functions." It really was the most disarming thing, and I usually found it hard to think when it was aimed at me, and though it was good that it seemed to happen often, it was bad when I was trying to appear at least _marginally_ smart and witty.

I wanted to sigh at the thought that I might be making a complete fool out of myself in front of Sirius, who was just so perfect that for the hundredth time since I'd laid eyes on him, I doubted that he would ever want to have anything to do with me. Especially if he ever found out the truth about me…

Of course, the fact that Sirius was still smiling his beautiful, perfect smile at me lifted me out of my funk straight away, and I found myself grinning beatifically back at him.

"Hey, check that out!" James suddenly exclaimed, and Sirius and I broke our gaze to look out across the lake where James was pointing.

There was a large tree; it vaguely resembled a giant willow tree, except that it was moving. It wasn't as if its branches were being blown by a strong wind, they were simply just whipping around, seeming to grab out at the air, swinging down low to scrape the ground, going every which way in a menacing sort of manner.

"Whoa," Sirius breathed in awe. "I wonder what that is?"

Lily was gaping in silence, but she spoke up curiously. "Is it just me, or does it look like a monstrous tree?"

I nodded, curiously captivated by the sight like the rest of them. "Its gigantic."

"No, I mean…it seems like its…possessed, or something." She seemed to be rather agitated that she couldn't find the right words. "It's moving so wildly, and there isn't even wind."

"Well," James said, and I glimpsed an excited look on his face when I glanced up. "It'll be our mission, then, to discover what it is."

"Mission?" Sirius repeated, a smirk on his face. "Wasn't your mission to, and I quote, 'induct Remus and Lily into the wonderful world of Quidditch'?"

"That's my _personal_ mission," James said as if he was talking to a five-year-old. "_This_ is going to be _our_ mission. All of us." He waved his arm around at all of us.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "We all have a mission now?"

James nodded happily.

"We could always just _ask_ someone, you know, James."

I nodded my agreement, but James and Sirius both didn't seem too pleased with her logic.

"But that would just take the fun out of it!" Sirius exclaimed, in almost-horror.

"Fun?" I repeated doubtfully. "There's fun to be had in trying to learn about a tree?"

"Of course!" Sirius and James insisted simultaneously. Lily and I exchanged glances. We seemed to be doing that rather a lot, and I had a sneaking suspicion we would be doing it for years to come, if we all remained friends. Especially if we remained friends with Sirius and James, who seemed to have their act down to an art.

"I mean, we could sneak around -" Sirius began.

"Have secret conferences -" James cut in.

"Spy on people -" Sirius continued.

James was about to go on, except that Lily and I were laughing by then. Hard. "What?" James asked, looking slightly hurt. "Why are you two laughing?"

"Oh, James," Lily shook her head affectionately, then dissolved into laughter again, leaving a very confused James Potter to stare at her.

Meanwhile, Sirius was staring at me. "What is it?" he was asking, looking so earnestly befuddled that I couldn't help but smile warmly at him.

"Nothing, nothing, it's just…it's nothing."

I was spared from trying to explain further by the halting of our boat in a dark underground harbor. We all immediately forgot about the conversation and climbed out of the boat eagerly. We hurried up the path and ended up in front of massive oak doors on the wide stone steps, looking up at the enormous castle that would soon become our home for three-quarters of the next seven years.

Hogwarts.

* * *

AN: _Yay, Remus' POV is up! Oh, and I got a couple of reminders that the first years go to the castle via boat and **not **carriages, so I've fixed it accordingly, and yes, that means that I've reposted the Sirius one, so you can check it out again (or not, cause its minor changes) too. _

_Anyway, thank you and chocolate-dipped-double-chocolate-chunky cookies to my reviewers,  
**musicgirl141, X-mas Gurl, Affected MangoO** (I havent actually decided if Remus will be poor or not, but Sirius is just being gallant and paying. _:)_), **LythTaeraneth, Lilsi, StolenSoul4818,** and **Azure Luna **(unfortunately, yes, the rat shows up eventually. I'm trying to put it off. (grin))_

_Now, you know what's coming...**review**, visit my **LJ,** and have a good week!_


	5. The Sorting

**Title:** _Puppy Love – Stargazing Part I_

**Author: juxtaposed  
Summary: **Remus and Sirius' lives and relationship - as seen from Remus' point of view.  
Companion to _Puppy Love – Lunar Love Part I._  
**Timeline:** From when they meet, up til when Harry is born. Aka, 1971-1980.  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Warnings:** _Slash!!_ That means_ guy-on-guy_ lovin'. Dont like it? Dont read it! Simple enough.  
**Pairings:** Sirius/Remus, James/Lily  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Remus, Hogwarts, Platform 9 3/4, etc...I _do_ own Sirius, James, and Lily, cause JK Rowling killed them off, and we all know you cant lay claim to dead persons, right? Mwahaha. Nah, I dont own them, so dont sue me for dreaming. Bah.

**Puppy Love – Stargazing Part I**  
by **juxtaposed**

**Chapter Four: The Sorting**

The castle doors swung open almost immediately after Hagrid raised his large fists to knock on them. In the doorway stood a rather strict-looking witch, she was tall with long black hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid told her, and she nodded to him, pulling the doors open wider. She made for us to follow her, and we all shuffled in behind her. We entered the Entrance Hall, and it was just… I couldn't help but gape at it. It was enormous – I think I knew towns smaller than it. The ceiling seemed to stretch up to the skies, and the walls were lined with sconces and lit torches that made the whole place glow rather mysteriously, and over to my left there was a gigantic marble staircase.

Professor McGonagall led us to the side of the hall, where there was a small chamber of sorts. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, "the start of year Feast is about to begin, but before you can all sit in the Great Hall, you have to be sorted."

She looked around at us. "The Sorting is extremely important, as it will dictate who you spend the next seven years of your life with – when you are not in classes with your Housemates, you will sleep in your House dormitories, and you will spend your free time in your House common rooms. In other words, your House will be your home at Hogwarts, and all your Housemates will be your family.

"The four Houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, and each has their own unique history and traits. I hope you will all be a credit to whichever House you get sorted into, as all your triumphs will bring you r House points, while misdemeanors mean you lose points, which tally up at the end of the year. The House with the highest points wins the House Cup, a great honor.

"The Sorting will begin soon, so some of you had best get yourselves smartened up." She cast an eye over the group. "I will return soon, please wait quietly."

When she left, Lily immediate spun to face James, Sirius and me. "What's all that about Houses and being sorted?" she asked anxiously.

"It's a tradition in Hogwarts that all new students get sorted into Houses based on their traits," I explained. "Gryffindors are brave and noble, Ravenclaws are smart and studious, Hufflepuffs are loyal and hardworking, and Slytherins are ambitious and cunning." I counted them off on my fingers, and when I looked up, Sirius, James and Lily were staring at me. "What?" I asked, confused at their reactions. "It's in _Hogwarts: A History_."

"Oh, I _knew_ I should have read that," Lily nodded, exhaling in frustration. "I'd thought it was better to go over our schoolbooks instead." She paused for a while then smiled. "Charms is really quite interesting."

I could see James and Sirius exchanging incredulous glances.

James stared at us as though we were insane. "You were…_reading_…during the holidays before you came here?"

"About school?" Sirius seemed to be rather shell-shocked.

I looked at Lily. She looked at me. We both rolled our eyes.

I sighed. "Yes, is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes!" Sirius immediately replied.

James nodded sagely. "It's not normal."

Lily shot him a slight scowl. "Are you implying Remus and I are abnormal?"

"No!" James and Sirius immediately exclaimed, then Sirius quickly added, "Not at all."

"So, what House do you reckon you'll be in?" James suddenly changed the topic of conversation, and Lily and I smiled. "I know I'll be in Gryffindor," he said rather knowingly.

"Because you're so noble and brave?" Lily remarked dryly.

Either James didn't notice her sarcasm, or he didn't care. "Exactly," he nodded. "And…every single Potter has been sorted into Gryffindor for as long as I can remember."

"I just hope I'm not in Slytherin," I heard Sirius mumble under his breath. "My parents might actually be _proud_ of me if I were."

I frowned, trying to grasp what he meant, but James was on a roll. "Ah, you'll be in Gryffindor with me, mate," he said confidently, then glanced at Lily and I. "I'm not so sure about these two though – they've got the makings of Ravenclaws, I reckon. They're so…_studious_."

The last word was said with a fair amount of fear and revulsion, and I couldn't help smirking. Lily was doing the same, as she raised an eyebrow at James. "You know, James, its not a dirty word."

James made a face. "St…stu…Oh yes it is!" he grumbled. "I cant even bring myself to say it!"

Lily shook her head at him. "And how do you expect to make it through seven years of school without _studying?_" She purposely stressed the last word, and both of the other boys cringed at it.

Sirius grinned, and I swooned. "On our good looks and charm, of course."

He had no idea how right he was. Lily looked at me, and I swallowed hard. "Sirius -"

I was cut off by Professor McGonagall's return. "The Sorting is about to begin. Line up, please, and follow me."

She brought us into the Great Hall, past the double doors. There were four long tables, where all the students were seated, and at the head of them all was another table, where the teachers sat. We all filed in behind her and waited as she took out a stool and what looked like a decrepit hat.

Lily was standing next to me, and she leaned in and whispered into my ear. "What is that thing?"

Before I could answer, a rip in the hat flapped open suddenly and then it began to sing.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty  
__But don't judge on what you see  
__I'll eat myself if you can find  
__A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black  
__Your top hats sleek and tall  
__For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
__And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head  
__The Sorting Hat cant see  
__So try me on and I will tell you  
__Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor  
__Where dwell the brave at heart  
__Their daring, nerve and chivalry  
__Set Gryffindors apart._

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
__Where they are just and loyal,  
__Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
__And unafraid of toil._

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw  
__If you've a ready mind  
__Where those of wit and learning  
__Will always find their kind._

_Or perhaps in Slytherin  
__You'll make your real friends  
__Those cunning folks use any means  
__To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
__And don't get in a flap!  
__You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
__For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

When it was done, the entire Hall applauded, and the hat folded itself in half a few times – it was bowing, I supposed. Then it returned to its state of inanimateness and Professor McGonagall stepped out in front of us, pulling out a roll of parchment.

"You will come forward when your name is called, and place this hat upon your head to get Sorted," she told us. "Now, Adams, Gomez!"

A stout, black-haired boy crept nervously to the stool, then gingerly placed the hat onto its head. A few seconds later, the hat opened its flap and called out, "Hufflepuff!"

A few students later, Professor McGonagall called out "Black, Sirius!" and Sirius darted forward eagerly. The hat sunk down over his eyes and nose, stopping just shy of his lips, which curled into the most devastating smile that left me feeling rather weak in the knees, and about half a minute later yelled out "Gryffindor!"

"Awesome!" James cheered from next to me, as the Gryffindor table greeted Sirius happily. Meanwhile, the Slytherin table seemed to be in some sort of uproar. I glanced at them, but didn't see what the issue was, so I returned to looking at Sirius, who was happily accepting all the attention being lavished onto him.

After a while, the Sorting continued, and had gone through the other Bs, then Cs and Ds, and was making its way through the Es, when the Professor announced, "Evans, Lily!"

Lily shyly made her way up to the stool, and a few long moments with the hat soon had it placing her in Gryffindor as well. I heard James exhale in relief and happiness. Then I vaguely heard "Felton, Tom!" going to Slytherin, and "Finch, Atticus!" being sorted into Ravenclaw while I raised my eyebrows knowingly at James, and he blushed faintly.

A while later, just after "Longbottom, Frank!" was sorted into Gryffindor, I heard my own name being called out, and I walked cautiously to the stool and hat. I lifted it onto my head, and just like it had done with all the others, it slipped down to cover most of my head.

"Remus Lupin," a voice suddenly said, and I started. At that, a low rumble of laughter sounded. "Relax, Mister Lupin. It is just I, the Sorting Hat. Now…where shall I place you?"

'I don't know,' I admitted. 'Frankly, I wasn't sure if I'd even make it to Hogwarts.'

"Ah, yes, your monthly problem. Well, you seem to have quite a lot of bravery in dealing with that…however you have an unquestionably brilliant mind as well…you'd do well in Ravenclaw…but I see a great nobility in you along with that intelligence and a lot of courage, so overall, you'd better be in GRYFFINDOR!"

'Thank you!' I thought quickly, before removing it and making my way over to where Sirius and Lily were sitting at the Gryffindor table, blushing at the cheers the rest of the table were giving me. I slid in between my two friends.

"Guess we're all stuck together, huh?" I grinned at them. They laughed, then we all turned our attention back to the sorting, where they were slowly making their way to the Ps. Then there was a "Pettigrew, Peter!" who was sorted into Hufflepuff, a "Pint, Hava!" who ended up in Slytherin, and finally, "Potter, James!"

We all watched eagerly as James sat down on the stool and the hat obscured his features. It was barely on for more than a few seconds, before it cheerfully called out "Gryffindor!" and James loped over to us, grinning madly. Sirius, Lily and I cheered loudly, over the next name, and we only quieted as "Radcliffe, Daniel!" made it into Gryffindor as well, and "Rankin, Robert!" was placed into Slytherin.

A couple of minutes later, we watched as "Snape, Severus!", a skinny, pale, black-haired boy sat under the hat for over a good minute before the hat announced he was in Slytherin, although it seemed a little weary about its final decision. I frowned; it must have been just my imagination. Hats couldn't be weary, could they? But then again, I also thought most hats didn't talk or sing.

My thoughts flew out of my head when the final students – "Watson, Emma!" and "Wonderland, Alice!" were both sorted into Ravenclaw. Professor McGonagall rolled the long sheet of parchment, then left with the stool and hat. When she returned, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and cast a bright smile across the Hall.

"Ah, a new year begins," he announced. "Well, I have things to say, but not now. Now, we shall eat! I only have a few words for you all: Glumbumble! Bezoar! Toast! Thank you!"

I could only blink at the wizened old man, and next to me Lily leaned in and whispered, in a worried sort of tone, "D'you reckon he's a little barmy?"

I grinned and nodded. "I'd count on it."

* * *

AN: _Again, not my best chapter, I reckon, but it just needed to be done. I promise that after this there will be much less same-situations-and-conversations...well, I'll try my best to keep them apart but together...if that makes sense._

_Little Remus and Sirius figurines of gratitude go to:  
**musicgirl141; Somnia Lustre** (you're telling me! I'm so eager to speed things up soon.); **Kynny; Lilsi; Tanya J Potter; LythTaeraneth (**heh, well I mentioned Peter here...and I fixed that last "carriage" bit);** Seraphina Pyra **(hehe, yes I think you did defend Peter, but dont worry, even though I hate him I wont make him out as the rat straight away.); **StolenSoul4818;** and **MelissaMoony.**  
Thank you all so much! You make me have warm fuzzies._ :)

_My usual: pleeeeease **review**? Make it my **birthday** (why yes, I am shameless) present._ :)


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